Floating decoy.



H. G. WBTHALL.

FLOATING DECOY.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.10. 1910.

Patented sept. 13,1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HANS Gr. WETHALL, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TOBERNARD J. DAHL, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

FLOATING DECOY.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HANS Gr. Vn'rHALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FloatingDecoys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved floating decoykit adapted to be quickly and easily folded into small and compact form,for the purpose of storage or transportation, and adapted to be veryquickly spread out on water for use in hunting ducks and similar wildbirds.

To the above ends, the invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing the devicespread out in condition for use; Fig. 2 shows the framework of thedevice folded; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line r3 of Fig. 2; andFig. 4 is a detail view in side elevation, showing one of the decoyducks detached from the rest of the device.

The decoy ducks are individually indicated by the numeral 1. Each duckis provided, at its lower portion, with a front eye 2 and a rear eye 3,to the former of which a short drag line 4 is permanently attached, thesaid line, at its free end, having a snap hook 5 adapted to be appliedto the eye 3, thereby forming a sort of a bail by means of which a largenumber of decoy ducks may be carried in the hand or on the arm.

The supporting or spreading frame of the device is preferably made up ofa pair of Wooden drag bars 6 connected, at their front ends, by a hinge7 and one thereof having a perforated lug 8 to which an anchoring lineor cable 9 is attached at one end. To the other end of the anchoringline 9 is attached an anchor' 10, which is preferably in the form of along piece of soft lead. The drag bars 6 are provided Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

Serial No. 537,160.

with devices such as screw eyes 11, to which the snap hooks 5 of theindividual drag lines 4 may be attached when the drag bars are spreadout, as shown in Fig. 1. To hold the drag bars, the drag bars (3 areadapted to be held in their spread or diverging positions, shown in saidFig. 1, by means of a spreader bar 12 which, as shown, is pivoted at oneend to one of the drag bars G and at its other end is provided with aslot 13 adapting it to be detachably secured to the other drag bar by athumb nut equipped bolt 14. or other suitable device.

The drag bars G are preferably made long enouo'h to each properly spaceabout six decoy ducks and, to enable the said bars to be folded and incompact form, each is provided with an intermediate joint connected by ahinge 15. The hinges 15 adapt the bars 6 to be folded in a forwardlydirection, but prevent folding movements thereof in a reverse direction,so that when the bars are spread out, as shown in Fig. 1, they willremain extended or in straight positions.

This improved decoy kit is adapted to be setup for use and anchored in avery few minutes and it holds the decoy ducks in a very natural V-shapedformation and permits limited independent lateral movements of the decoyducks, all of which adds very materially to the natural appearance ofthe decoy. To set up a number of individual and independent decoys of anumber equal to that shown in Fig. 1, as has hitherto been customary,requires considerable time and frequently considerable trouble toproperly position the decoys. Also, the collection of the individuallyset decoys has been found to require considerable time. With my improveddecoy kit, the setting of the decoys and the collection of the decoysbecomes a very simple and easy matter.

Vhen the framework of the device is folded, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3,the decoys are detached therefrom and the anchor line 9 may readily bewound around the folded framework and the flexible anchor 10 bent aroundthe said folded framework, thereby securing the framework together, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The entire device is of comparatively small cost and decoy ducks of anysuitable character may be used in connection therewith.

Wha'ft I claim isf 'A 1. In a Hoating decoy kit, the combination withdiverging drag bars connected by a hinge at their front endsjand made upof hinge sections7 of a spreader bar pivoted tok one of said drag barsand detachably connected to the other drag bar, an anchor having ananchor line connected to the front end of said dragl bars, amultiplicity of eyes on said drag bars,` and ay multiplicity of decoysprovided with drag lines having snap hooks at their free ends adaptedfor application to the eyes of said drag bars, substantially asdescribed?.

2. In a floating decoy kit,the combina-tion With` diverging drag barsconnected. by a hinge at their front endsl and made up of hingesections, of a spreader bar piv'oted to one of said drag barsanddetachably con nected to the other drag bar, an anchor havingl an anchorline connected to the front end of said drag bars, the saidy anchorbeing drag bars, and a multiplicityv of decoys provided With drag lineshaving snap hooks at their free ends adapted for application to theeyes' of said drag bars, substantially as described.

3. In a floating decoy kit, the combination With a; drag bar having amultiplicity of longitudinally spaced eyes, of a multiplicity of decoyshaving individual drag lines provided at their free ends with snap hooksadapting them for application to said eyes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aHiX'my signature inpresence of two Witnesses.

A. H. OPSAHL, F. D. MERCHANT.

